Solo female travellers and those who have decided to work from home from Goa and living in the coastal belt of Anjuna and Vagator have started finding Goa unsafe since cases of attack and abuse are on the rise and they find the police not worthy of their trust.
The first assault case was registered by a lady from north India - against four local youth- at the Anjuna Police Station on April 4, 2023. Two years down the line, victim Salema , whose name has been changed, thinks, “instead of assisting her, the Anjuna Police have not done enough to prove that women tourists are safe in Goa.”
And, the story of being abused by men in the cover of darkness at restaurants and night hotspots continues.
“My friend and I were walking on Chapora Street in April when a DJ walked towards me, touched me inappropriately and walked away. We begged for help and no one came forward. Bar owners actually asked us not to step inside their places because they feared he would cause more trouble to them and not us,” recounts Shanti, whose name has been changed.
“Strangely," remembers Shanti, “the locals called the Russian DJ who had accosted me, a local and that is what shocked us even more. Despite the street being full, no one came forward to help,” said Shanti, who claimed she did not report the matter to the police out of fear of repercussions.